lightest balaclava

hmm i think Bill F could make one out of cuben fiber… could be very light… but you would probabaly sufficate and die… but man would it be light! :D
just teasin,
mike!

Bill can make anything out of cuben and it will be the lightest.

Hi Joe,
I think you are correct, at least about a Balaclava. I would not debate the merits of a Balaclava made out of Cuben but I don’t think you will find one much lighter.

I have one of the Patagonia “really light” capilene Balaclava and by my scale it weighs 1.01oz. It has 4 lables of sorts sewen on it and I think I could get it under 1 oz if I cut them out. It is sewn using 4 pieces of material that total about 0.15 sq yard of material and one like it made out of the following three materials would weigh:
1 – Cuben at 0.35oz sq yard = 0.0525 grams
2 – Cuben at 0.44oz sq yard = 0.066 grams
3 – Thai Silk – 8mm (1.02 oz sq yard) 0.153grams

I have an old REI Balaclava made out of a light fleece that is made out of two pieces of material for a total of 0.12 sq yards. One like it would be even lighter and the same three material from above would be:
1 – Cuben at 0.35oz sq yard = 0.042 grams
2 – Cuben at 0.44oz sq yard = 0.528 grams
3 – Thai Silk – 8mm (1.02 oz sq yard) 0.1224

NOTE:
1. Thread weigh is not factored into these weights.
2. You can get Thai Silk as light as 4.5mm/0.57oz sq yard and a lot of other light material that also might ?? work.
3. I think one made of Cuben on the outside and lined with the 4.5mm Silk might be nice. The weight of one like that would be about 0.127 grams/0.004oz.
4. Disclaimer: I just got up so I will recheck my math later when I cut some Cuben material for a test Balaclava. I think I have some scrap pieces big enough and will use them.